Ceramic vaporizer

ABSTRACT

A vaporizer has a base with a neck extending between a top end and a bottom end of the base. A bowl is formed on the top end of the base, and an air intake tube extending upwardly from a bottom surface of the bowl. A conduit extends through the base and the neck to the air intake tube, and a heat sink may be formed on the neck for dissipating heat from the conduit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application for a utility patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/924,220, filed Jan. 6, 2014.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to vaporizers, and more particularly to vaporizers used for the inhalation of vapors, typically in smoking activities.

2. Description of Related Art

Combustion of a substance is one method for production of gas/vapors for inhalation; however, atomization (aka vaporization) is another effective technique that utilizes non-combustion or limited combustion vaporization. Atomization/vaporization of substances is well known for aromatherapy, respiratory therapy, or for smoking activities. Vaporization is accomplished though the heating of a selected substance to a temperature at which it undergoes phase change into a gas with no chemical reaction or with different chemical reactions than the basic oxidation/decomposition of hydrocarbon substances into CO2 and water.

One known way to so vaporize a substance is to heat a tool until it is of the desired temperature, and then removing it from a heat source before introducing the material which is to be atomized/vaporized. This process allows the material to go through a phase change, called atomization/vaporization, instead of being combusted through ignition. Substantial research has established that the atomization/vaporization process is a much healthier, cleaner alternative to combustion.

One example of a prior art vaporizer tool is shown in Carney, U.S. 2013/0039639. Carney teaches a vaporizer assembly having a nail sub-assembly, an adaptor assembly, a bowl and a shaft, and is hereby incorporated by reference. These types of prior art vaporizers are made of metals such as titanium, and are typically referred to as “titanium nails.”

The problem with titanium nails is that they quickly become dirty, discolored, and unsanitary, and can develop a taste and smell that is undesirable.

The present invention provides a vaporizer that is similar to the titanium nail construction, but is made of a ceramic material, preferably a ceramic with certain physical characteristics that provide a cleaner burning experience for the user. Some prior art devices sometimes use ceramics, but only when used with electric heaters. These materials have never before been used in a “nail” type vaporizer, and even the electric heaters devices don't use the currently preferred ceramic materials. For example, Hon, U.S. 20120279512, describes an atomizing electronic cigarette has an atomizing core component and a liquid storage component. This type of device is not heated by a flame as in the titanium nail, but is heated with an electric heater. The electric heater may have a through hole aligned with a channel passing through the liquid storage component. The cigarette can heat and uniformly vaporize liquid from the liquid storage component, with the user inhaling the vaporized liquid.

Other similar devices are shown in Benassayag, U.S. 20130152922, Tucker, U.S. 20130192623, Conley, U.S. 20130220315, Amirpour, U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,164, and many others.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.

The present invention provides a vaporizer having a base with a neck extending between a top end and a bottom end of the base. A bowl is formed on the top end of the base, and an air intake tube extending upwardly from a bottom surface of the bowl. A conduit extends through the base and the neck to the air intake tube, and a heat sink may be formed on the neck for dissipating heat from the conduit.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a ceramic vaporizer having advantages not taught by the prior art.

Another objective is to provide a ceramic vaporizer of the “nail” type of construction, which are made of a ceramic material, particularly of a preferred formulation.

Another objective is to provide a ceramic vaporizer whose ceramic construction provides a superior smell, taste, and overall user experience.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vaporizer according to one embodiment of the present invention, the vaporizer being shown connected to part of a water pipe;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the vaporizer, with a section broken away to illustrate two inner diameters for accepting multiple diameters of the water pipe;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the vaporizer illustrating a conduit running through the vaporizer;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vaporizer being used with a smoking device;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view thereof, illustrating the flow of vapors through the vaporizer and smoking device;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the vaporizer that includes an electrical heating system; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a vaporizer 10 for vaporizing materials to provide vapors suitable for inhalation. It is the particular construction of the vaporizer 10, combined with the ceramic materials described herein, that allow improved vaporization of the materials, as compared to other metallic vaporizers.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vaporizer 10, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the vaporizer 10 connected to part of a water pipe 12. FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the vaporizer 10, with a section broken away to illustrate two inner diameters for accepting multiple diameters of the water pipe 12. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the vaporizer 10 illustrating a conduit 70 running through the vaporizer 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the vaporizer 10 may include a base 20 having a bottom end 22, a top end 24, and an outer surface 25. The base 20 extends to a bowl 50 formed on the top end 24. The bowl 50 is adapted to receive the material to be vaporized, and may be formed of a ceramic that includes 95% or more aluminum oxide, as discussed in greater detail below. The bottom end 22 of the base 20 may be used to attach the vaporizer 10 to the water pipe 12.

In the present embodiment, the base 20 is an elongate tubular structure shaped to be mounted on the water pipe 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom end 22 may be shaped to fit over the water pipe 12. The bottom end 22 may have a smaller diameter wall 26 having a smaller wall diameter D1, a larger diameter wall 27 having a larger wall diameter D2, and an inward step 28 formed between the smaller diameter wall 26 and the larger diameter wall 27. The sizes of the smaller wall diameter D1 and the larger wall diameter D2 may be any value, according to one skilled in the art, for accepting a variety of sizes of the water pipes 12. In one embodiment, the smaller wall diameter D1 may be 14 mm and the larger wall diameter D2 may be 18 mm. In the present embodiment, the smaller diameter wall 26, the larger diameter wall 27, or both, have may smoothly varying inner diameters, forming a taper. In another embodiment (not shown), the smaller diameter wall 26 and the larger diameter wall 27 may be vertical, with a constant inner diameter. In another embodiment (not shown), the smaller wall diameter D1 may smoothly transition to the larger wall diameter D2, wherein the inward step 28 is formed by a tapered portion (not shown).

The ceramic construction of the entire vaporizer 10, or of just the bowl 50, is preferably 95% or more aluminum oxide, most preferably at least 98%. The ceramic preferably has a density of 3.9 g/cm³ or more, a grain size of 1.8 um or less. In some embodiments, the ceramic may include a zirconia blend. In other embodiments, it may include clay, quartz, feldspar, other stones, porcelains, or kaolinsa. They may also made from berylia, ceria, carbide, boride, nitride, and/or silicide. The ceramics may also be composites, having particulate reinforcements, fiber reinforcements, or combinations of oxides of non-oxides. While FIGS. 1-3 illustrate one embodiment of the base 20, those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments, and these alternative or equivalent are considered within the scope of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, a neck 40 of the base 20 may extend between the bottom end 22 and the bottom end 24 to thermally insulate the lower part of the base 20 from the bowl 50. The neck 40 may include a heat sink 30 to further dissipate heat from the base 20 and the conduit 70. During typical use, heat is concentrated around the bowl 50, thus the heat sink 30 prevents heat from reaching the lower part of the base 20. In the present embodiment, the heat sink 30 is shaped as an elongate cylindrical ribbed structure, formed on the neck 40, used to dissipate heat from the vaporizer 10. The heat sink 30, in the present embodiment has a top end 32 and a bottom end 34, and is comprised of outwardly extending annular ribs 36. The neck 40 has a top end 42 connected to the bowl 50 and a bottom end 44 connected to the base 20. In the present embodiment, the top end 32 of the heat sink 30 is located between the top end 42 and the bottom end 44 of the neck, while the bottom end 34 of the heat sink 30, coincides with the bottom end 44 of the neck 40. The heat sink 30 may also be formed over the entire length of the neck 40, from the top end 24 of the base 20 to the bottom surface 52 of the bowl 50.

The heat sink 30 may have any number of the outwardly extending annular ribs 36, connected in series coaxially, for increasing the surface area of the heat sink 30. The increase in surface area is helpful when radiating heat, and also the shape of the outwardly extending annular ribs 36 provides a longer and less direct path for heat to travel from the hot bowl 50 area to the base 20 and water pipe 12, allowing time for the heat to radiate. The heat sink 30 may have walls of varying thickness, for further retarding the diffusion of heat throughout the vaporizer 10. In the present embodiment, the outwardly extending annular ribs 36 are generally annular in shape, in other embodiments they may be square, hexagonal, or irregularly shaped, according to one skilled in the art. While FIGS. 1-3 illustrate one embodiment of the heat sink 30, those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments, and these alternative or equivalent are considered within the scope of the present invention.

The bowl 50 may be used to contain the resins or other materials to be vaporized by the vaporizer 10. In the present embodiment, the bowl 50 has a generally hollow cylindrical shape suitable for holding resins, connected to the end of the neck 40 opposite the base 20. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the bowl 50 may have an outwardly extending bottom surface 52, connected to the top end 42 of the neck 40, and an annular bowl wall 54 extending upward from the outwardly extending bottom surface 52 to define an inner volume 58 for holding the resins. The inner volume 58 may be accessed by a top opening 56 present at the upper end of the side wall 66. The resins or other materials to be vaporized may be placed within the inner volume 58 of the bowl 50 where it may then be heated until vaporization occurs. The bowl 50 may be of generally cylindrical construction, though in other embodiments other shapes are possible. While FIGS. 1-3 illustrate one embodiment of the bowl 50, those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments, and these alternative or equivalent are considered within the scope of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, an air intake tube extends 60 upwardly from within the bowl 50. A conduit 70 may extend through the base 20 and the neck 40 to the air intake tube 60. The air intake tube 60 is for the transference of vapors from the resin being vaporized within the heated bowl 50. In the present embodiment, the air intake tube 60 is of cylindrical construction extending upwardly from the outwardly extending bottom surface 52 of the bowl 50, with a top end 62 and an opposed bottom end 64 separated by a side wall 66, and a tube conduit 68 for passing the vapors through the air intake tube 60 to the conduit 70. The air intake tube 60 may have any height, though preferably extends upwardly from the outwardly extending bottom surface 52 of the bowl 50 a greater distance than the annular bowl wall 54 to prevent spillage of any liquid resins or other materials into the tube conduit 68 and the conduit 70. In other embodiments, the air intake tube 60 is illustrated as having a round cross-section; however, in alternative embodiments, it may have alternative cross-sectional shapes. The air intake tube 60 may also be an integral part of the bowl 50 or a separate piece extending through the bowl 50. While FIGS. 1-3 illustrate one embodiment of the air intake tube 60, those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments, and these alternative or equivalent are considered within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vaporizer 10 operably mounted on the water pipe 12. FIG. 5 is a sectional view thereof, illustrating the flow of vapors through the vaporizer 10 and water pipe 12. The vaporizer 10 described in the present application may be used with any form of smoking device to heat a resin and draw the vapors through the smoking device as indicated by the arrows shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the vaporizer 10 connected to an electrical heating system 100. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of thereof. While the vaporizer 10 may be heated by applying flame to the bowl 50, in another embodiment the vaporizer 10 is heated with an electrical heating system 100. The electrical heating system 100 may have a heater element 102 connected to a control unit 104 and a power converter 106. The electrical heating system 100 may be powered by an AC plug 108 or battery 110. The heater element 102 may be an enclosure which surrounds the bowl 50, though may extend to surround the neck 40 or the heat sink 30 as well, and form a generally heat-tight seal for efficient heating. The power converter 106 may be used to change the current from AC to DC, which is more useful for resistive heating. The heater element 102 may be any sort of resistive heating method known to one skilled in the art, for example a set of coils or filaments that become hot when an electrical current is passed through them. The operation of the electrical heating system may be controlled by the control unit 104, which may have LED displays showing the mode of power and a switch to turn the device on or off. The electrical heating system 100 may be powered by common 120V AC power, though may also have the ability to take power from a battery 110 source, allowing the unit to be portable. While FIGS. 5-6 illustrates one embodiment of the electrical heating system, those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments, and these alternative or equivalent are considered within the scope of the present invention.

As used in this application, the words “a,” “an,” and “one” are defined to include one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. Also, the terms “have,” “include,” “contain,” and similar terms are defined to mean “comprising” unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terminology used in the specification provided above is hereby defined to include similar and/or equivalent terms, and/or alternative embodiments that would be considered obvious to one skilled in the art given the teachings of the present patent application. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A vaporizer comprising: a base having a top end and a bottom end; a neck of the base formed between the top end and the bottom end of the base; a bowl formed on the top end of the base, the bowl having an outwardly extending bottom surface and an annular bowl wall extending upwardly from the bottom surface to form an inner volume of the bowl; wherein the bowl is formed of a ceramic formed of 95% or more aluminum oxide; an air intake tube extending upwardly from the bottom surface of the bowl; a conduit extending through the base and the neck to the air intake tube; and a heat sink formed on the neck for dissipating heat from the conduit.
 2. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the air intake tube extends upwardly from the bottom surface of the bowl a greater distance than the annular bowl wall.
 3. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the conduit is axially aligned with the air intake tube.
 4. The vaporizer of claim 1, the base comprising a smaller diameter wall having a first inner diameter, and a larger diameter wall having a second inner diameter, wherein there is an inward step formed between the smaller diameter wall and the larger diameter wall.
 5. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the smaller diameter wall, the larger diameter wall, or both, have varying inner diameters, forming a taper.
 6. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is formed over the entire length of the neck, from the top end of the base to the bottom surface of the bowl.
 7. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the vaporizer is entirely made of a ceramic formed of 95% or more aluminum oxide.
 8. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the vaporizer is entirely made of a ceramic formed of 98% or more aluminum oxide.
 9. The vaporizer of claim 7, wherein the density of the ceramic vaporizer is 3.9 g/cm³ or more.
 10. The vaporizer of claim 7, wherein the ceramic of the vaporizer has a grain size of 1.8 um or less.
 11. A method for vaporizing a material, the method comprising the steps of: providing a water pipe for transmitting vapors; providing a ceramic vaporizer having a base, a neck, a heat sink, a bowl, an air intake tube, and a conduit, wherein the vaporizer is formed of 95% or more aluminum oxide; providing a material to be vaporized; placing the base of the vaporizer on the water pipe such that a substantially air-tight seal is formed; placing the material in the bowl such that the air intake tube is not obstructed; heating the bowl until the desired vapors are emitted from the material; and creating a low pressure region in the water pipe such that the vapors are drawn through the air intake tube, through the conduit, and into the water pipe. 